Envelop



(No Model.)

- T. P. HANDLY.

ENVELOI.

No. 557,202. Patented Mar. 31, 1896.

- Jim WW ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHOTD-UTHQWASNINGIOND C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS F. HANDLY, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENVELO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,202, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed November 1, 1892. Renewed August 8, 1895. Serial No. 558,161. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. HANDLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specifica tion.

My invention relates to an improved envelop; and it consists in arranging the gum in a position that will avoid the necessity of moistening the same when closing the e11- velop, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a face view of an open envelop having a gummed surface arranged in accordance with my invention.

To put my invention into practice, I provide an envelop of ordinary construction and gum a portion 3 of the body of the envelop 1 directly beneath that part of the same covered by the flap 2 when closed.

This envelop, constructed as described, is a sanitary improvement over the style of envelop now used, as the tongue is used to moisten the gum of the old-style envelop. This application of the tongue to the gum or other substance, which is often bad-tasting, unpleasant, and far from clean, creates a disagreeable taste in the mouth and causes many people of delicate and sensitive organizations to become very sick and have to resort to other means for moisture, which are not always available. Where a sponge or other mechanical device is used to moisten the gum of envelops, such sponge or mechanical device soon gets sticky and full of gum washed from the flap, catching and retaining all dust, dirt, or other matter coming in contact with it, making such device very difficult to keep clean and always undesirable on an office-desk.

In sealing my improved envelop the tongue or mechanical device is brought in contact with the clean unsoiled under surface of the flap.

Moistening the gum with a sponge or other substance or device retaining moisture is awkward, slow, and troublesome and the means not always at hand when sealing, while with my invention the means of sealing an envelop at any time or place are clean, tasteless, quick, and perfect.

Moistening the gummed surface of an envelop with the tongue or other device where the means used comes in direct contact with the gum a portion of the gum is carried off, and in some cases the gum is nearly all licked or washed away, thereby causing the envelop to be imperfectly sealed, and often not at all. In my invention, where the moisture is applied to the ungummed flap, the gum on the body of the envelop cannot be washed away and the full adhesive qualities of the same are retained, thereby insuring perfect sealing.

Where the gum or other substance is extended below the lower edge of the flap, the same is left unmoistened after the envelop has been sealed, thereby alfording a means of detecting the fact should the same be moistened by steam or water to tamper with the contents of the letter. This thin strip of gum, if not tampered with, will remain bright and clean if not brought in contact with moisture. This change in the position of the gummed surface of the envelop may be applied to all wrappers or envelops where flaps or edges come in contact with other parts of the wrapper.

Having thus described my invention, I claim An envelop having the gum or sealing material placed on the body of the envelop in stead of on the flap and in such a position that a portion of the same will remain uncovered below the flap when the envelop is sealed,substantially as and for the purposes set forth. In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature this 27th day of October, A. D. 1892.

THOMAS I I-IANDLY. [L. s.]

In presence of- J AS. J. McAFEE, M. E. HARRISON. 

